JP7691277B2 - Code control device and method - Google Patents

Description

Various embodiments relate to cord control devices and methods for controlling, including retaining or releasing, cords that may be used in sporting or non-sporting activities.

Cords or ropes can be used in many sports related activities, especially in the adventure sports industry. Controlling the cord, especially holding and releasing it, is a key aspect that must be performed safely and efficiently.

One particular adventure of interest is bungee jumping, which is also known as bungee jumping.

In bungee jumping, a person jumps from a jumping location (such as a bridge, building, and the like) to which the person (jumper) is attached by a large elastic cord. The cord can be called a bungee cord or bungee rope. When the person (jumper) jumps, the cord extends downward toward the ground. Due to the elasticity of the cord, it stretches to its maximum, after which the jumper jumps upward as the cord recoils and continues to oscillate (bounce up and down) until the kinetic energy in the cord is substantially dissipated. The sport of bungee jumping has survived commercially for the last 30 years.

The size of a bungee jump is determined by the minimum safety clearance available between the jump location and the environment below (e.g., ground, water, and the like). The size of the bungee jump then determines the length of the bungee cord, with increasing length resulting in increased weight. To ensure that minimal forces are imposed on the bungee jumper, bungee cords are manufactured to be used within a specific weight range. Lighter jumpers use thinner cords, while heavier jumpers use thicker cords. As a result, some of the heaviest and longest cords used can weigh up to 100 kilograms (kg).

One danger in bungee jumping is the bungee cord itself. At one end, the bungee cord is connected to a fixed structure at/at the jump location, and at the other end, to the bungee jumper. During a bungee jump, the cord and its connection point have enough momentum to seriously injure or even kill the bungee jumper. It is therefore important that the position of the cord relative to the jumper is controlled. This is accomplished by pulling a portion of the cord, which may be long and heavy, up to the jump location, safely holding the cord while waiting for the jumper to jump, and releasing the cord at just the right time after the jumper has jumped. The perfect timing of this release is critical to the safety of the jumper. As the weight (length) of the bungee cord increases, the perfect timing of the release becomes more difficult. The weight of the cord can tire the operator of the person assisting the jump, leading to errors in the timing of the release and resulting in the operator failing to effectively control the cord.

One common solution is for a human operator to stand on the cord, but this becomes more difficult to do effectively as the cord becomes heavier. Standing on the cord can also damage and compromise the integrity of the cord, thus creating a safety hazard.

Considering the above and other issues, it is imperative, especially at large bungee jumping sites, to be able to release the cords at the right time and reduce operator fatigue, both of which ensure the safety of the bungee jumpers.

According to one aspect, the code control device comprises:
A fixed frame and
a movable frame rotatably coupled to the fixed frame and further coupled thereto via a first biasing element for biasing the movable frame to an upper position, the movable frame including a gripping mechanism coupled to the movable frame via a second biasing element for biasing the gripping mechanism to a released gripping position in which the gripping mechanism is unconstrained to release a portion of the cord disposed on the gripping mechanism;
a control lever coupled to the second biasing element and operable to overcome the second biasing element to move the gripping mechanism from a release position to a gripping position in which the gripping mechanism is constrained to hold a portion of the cord disposed on the gripping mechanism;
Equipped with.

In some embodiments, the movable frame is operable to overcome the first biasing element and rotate from the upper position to the lower position by the combined weight of the remaining portion of the cord and the object coupled thereto, while the combined weight of the remaining portion of the cord and the object further acts to overcome a force applied to the gripping mechanism by an actuated control lever to move the gripping mechanism from the gripping position to a release position to release a portion of the cord.

In some embodiments, the gripping mechanism includes a plurality of gripping rollers coupled to the second biasing element and configured to provide a channel therebetween for receiving a portion of the cord, where in the gripping position, the gripping rollers are configured to constrain the channel and where in the ungripping position, the gripping rollers are configured to unconstrain the channel.

In some embodiments, the control lever is coupled to the second biasing element by a cable, and actuating the control lever is configured to pull the cable to drive the gripping rollers toward each other.

In some embodiments, the control lever is foot operated.

In some embodiments, the control lever is located remotely from the movable frame.

In some embodiments, the stationary frame is integral to the bungee jumping location.

In some embodiments, the movable frame further includes a guide mechanism configured to guide any portion of the cord into or out of the channel.

In some embodiments, the guide mechanism includes at least one guide roller rotatably coupled to the movable frame, and the axis of rotation of the at least one guide roller is not parallel to the axis of rotation of the gripping mechanism.

In some embodiments, the at least one guide roller includes multiple guide rollers disposed on either side of the movable frame.

In some embodiments, the cord is a bungee cord.

According to one aspect, a code control method includes:
allowing a movable frame, rotatably coupled to the fixed frame and further coupled thereto via a first biasing element, to be biased towards an upper position;
allowing a gripping mechanism coupled to the moveable frame via at least a second biasing element to be biased to an unconstrained gripping release position;
placing a portion of the cord in an unconstrained gripping mechanism;
actuating the control lever to overcome the second biasing element and move the gripping mechanism from the released position to a gripping position in which the gripping mechanism is constrained and causes the gripping mechanism to hold a portion of the cord;
allowing an object coupled to the remaining portion of the cord to fall freely;
Releasing the control lever to move the gripping mechanism from the gripping position to the ungripping position and cause the gripping mechanism to release a portion of the cord; or Actuating the movable frame with the combined weight of the remaining portion of the cord and the object to overcome the first biasing element and rotate the movable frame from the upper position to the lower position.
and
Includes.

In some embodiments, after the steps of actuating the moveable frame to overcome the first biasing element and rotating the moveable frame from the upper position to the lower position, the method further comprises:
using the combined weight of the remaining portion of the cord and the object to overcome the force applied to the gripping mechanism by the actuated control lever and move the gripping mechanism from the gripping position to a release position to release a portion of the cord; and/or using the combined weight of the remaining portion of the cord and the object to thin a portion of the cord so that the thinned portion of the cord is removable from the gripping mechanism in the gripping position.
Further includes:

In some embodiments, the method further includes the step of removing or enabling removal by allowing a portion of the cord to fall free of the gripping mechanism.

In some embodiments, the method further includes guiding any portion of the cord into or out of the channel with a guide mechanism disposed on the movable frame.

In the drawings, generally, like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the various views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed generally on illustrating the principles of the invention. In the following description, various embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of a cord control device with its gripping mechanism in a released position, according to some embodiments. FIG. 1B is a schematic side view of FIG. 1A. 1 is a schematic front view of a control lever housing of a cord control device with its control lever unactuated, according to some embodiments. FIG. 1D is a schematic side view of FIG. 1B is a schematic front view of the coding device of FIG. 1A with the gripping mechanism in a retaining position, according to some embodiments. FIG. 2B is a schematic side view of FIG. 2A. 1B is a schematic front view of the control lever housing of FIG. 1A with its control lever actuated, according to some embodiments. FIG. 2D is a schematic side view of FIG. 2C. 1B is a schematic front view of the cord device of FIG. 1A in an upper position and with the cord portion disposed on the gripping mechanism in a retaining position; FIG. FIG. 3B is a schematic side view of FIG. 3A. 1B is a schematic front view of the cord device of FIG. 1A with the cord portion disposed in the gripping mechanism in a lowered position and in a retained position; FIG. FIG. 4B is a schematic side view of FIG. 4A. FIG. 1B is a schematic front view of the cording device of FIG. 1A with the cord in a lowered position and disengaged from the gripping mechanism; FIG. 5B is a schematic side view of FIG. 5A. 1 is a schematic rear view of a cord control device and a perspective view of its gripping mechanism (shown in dashed lines) in a holding position, according to some embodiments. FIG. 6B is a schematic rear view of the cord control device of FIG. 6A and a perspective view of its gripping mechanism (shown in dashed lines) in a released position, according to some embodiments. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for chord control, according to some embodiments.

The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example, specific details and embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments may be utilized, and structural, logical, and electrical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The various embodiments are not necessarily mutually exclusive, and some embodiments may be combined with one or more other embodiments to form new embodiments.

An embodiment described in the context of one method or device is equally valid for other methods or devices. Similarly, an embodiment described in the context of a method is equally valid for a device, and vice versa.

Features described in the context of one embodiment may be correspondingly applicable to the same or similar features in other embodiments. Features described in the context of one embodiment may be correspondingly applicable to other embodiments, even if not explicitly stated in these other embodiments. Furthermore, additions and/or combinations and/or alternatives stated for features in the context of one embodiment may be correspondingly applicable to the same or similar features in other embodiments.

In the context of the various embodiments, the articles "a," "an," and "the" used in reference to a feature or element include a reference to one or more of that feature or element.

In the context of various embodiments, the term "substantially" can include "exactly" and reasonable variations.

As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

As used herein, a phrase of the form "at least one of A or B" can include A or B, or both A and B. Accordingly, a phrase of the form "at least one of A or B or C," or including further enumerated items, can include any and all combinations of one or more of the associated enumerated items.

In the context of the various embodiments, the phrases "configured to," "arranged to," "adapted to," and "configured and arranged to" can be used interchangeably.

In the context of various embodiments, the term "control" and related terms can refer to holding and/or releasing, the term "coupled" can mean connected, whether directly or indirectly, and can mean in contact with, attached to, or secured to, the term "hold" and related terms can mean holding or holding, the term "allow" and related terms can mean allowing or providing, and the term "releasing" and related terms can mean releasing, not holding, releasing from holding, not holding.

Various embodiments may provide a cord control device. For example, the cord control device may provide a quick release of the bungee cord during bungee jumping. Such quick release of the bungee cord may be caused by a human operator, or automatically by the cord control device, or both.

The code control device will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are shown by way of example only and which may be suitably modified in other embodiments.

The cord control device includes a fixed frame 100 and a movable frame 120 (see FIGS. 1A and 1B). The fixed frame 100 may be fixedly coupled to a physical structure or may be integrally formed with the physical structure. The fixed frame 100 is preferably located at or near an edge of the physical structure. Such a physical structure may refer to a bungee jumping location such as a bridge, a plateau, a building, or the like, or a portion thereof. The movable frame 120 may be rotatably coupled to the fixed frame 100, such as via one or more hinges 102, to rotate the movable frame 120 between a plurality of positions, including an upper position (see FIGS. 1B, 2B, 3B) and a lower position (see FIGS. 4B, 5B). The movable frame 120 is further coupled to the fixed frame 100 via a first biasing element 104, which may include one or more springs or resilient members, to bias the movable frame 120 toward the upper position.

The movable frame 120 includes a gripping mechanism configured to move between at least a holding or gripping position (FIGS. 2A, 6A) and a release or ungripped position (FIGS. 1A, 6B). In the holding position, the gripping mechanism provides a constraint to hold or grip a portion of the cord (which may alternatively be referred to as a "cord portion" 304) disposed in the gripping mechanism, for example along its channel 124 to prevent movement of the cord portion 304. In the release position, the gripping mechanism releases or releases the retention of the cord portion 304 such that it is not constrained or the constraint is removed to unhinder movement of the cord portion 304. The cord 300 (see FIG. 3B) includes a cord portion 304 (disposed in the gripping mechanism or its channel 124) and the remaining portion of the cord (which may alternatively be referred to as a "remaining cord portion" 302, 306). The remaining cord portion 304 comprises an upper cord portion 302 extending from one end of the cord portion 304 and a lower cord portion 306 extending from the other end of the cord portion 304.

The gripping mechanism is coupled to the movable frame 120 via a second biasing element 112 (see Figs. 6A, 6B), which may comprise one or more springs or resilient members for biasing the gripping mechanism to the release position (see Fig. 6B). The gripping mechanism may comprise a plurality of gripping rollers 122 (see Figs. 3A, 4A) arranged in a spaced relationship to provide a channel 124 therebetween for receiving the cord portion 304. In the release position (see Fig. 6B), the gripping rollers 122 are not actuated, and thus the channel 124 is unconstrained to allow the cord disposed therein to move or slide therealong. To move from the release position to the retained position (see Fig. 6A), the second biasing element 112 must be overcome, such as by actuating the control lever 210.

A control lever 210 (see Figs. 6A, 6B, 1C, 1D, 2C, 2D) is coupled to the second biasing element 112. Such coupling can be provided by a cable 202 or other equivalent connection. The control lever 210 can be a pedal, such as a foot pedal that is actuated by depressing the pedal and deactuated by releasing the pedal. The control lever 210 can be further rotatably coupled to a control lever housing 200 (see Figs. 1C, 1D, 2C, 2D), such as by at least one hinge 204. The control lever housing 200 can be located remotely from or adjacent to the movable frame 120.

Actuating the control lever 210 is configured to apply sufficient force to overcome or release the biasing of the second biasing element 112. In particular, when the foot pedal is depressed (see Figs. 2C, 2D), the cable 202 is rotated about the hinge. Due to the coupling of the cable 202 to the second biasing element 112, which in turn is coupled to the guide roller 202, this rotation of the cable 202 pulls or forces the gripping rollers 122 toward each other, thus moving the gripping mechanism from the release position to the holding position (see Fig. 6A). In this holding position, the gripping rollers 122 are forced toward each other, thus constraining the channel 124, and thus the gripping mechanism holds or grips the cord portion 304 disposed in the channel 124. The gripping includes applying pressure to the sides of the cord portion 304 with the gripping roller 122 and/or at most partially closing the cord portion 304 with the gripping roller 122. When the control lever 210 is in an actuated state, the gripping mechanism remains in a retaining position and the cord portion 304 remains engaged in place.

Releasing the actuated control lever 210 is configured to remove the de-biasing force applied to the second biasing element 112, allowing the second biasing element 112 to return to its biased position (see FIG. 6B). In particular, releasing the control lever 210 is configured to loosen or release the tension on the cable 202, which then moves the gripping rollers 122 away from each other, thus moving the gripping mechanism from the holding position to the release position. In the release position, the gripping rollers 122 move away from each other, thus releasing or removing the constraint in the channel 124, and thus the gripping mechanism releases the cord portion 304 disposed in the channel 124. This release can include removing the force applied by the gripping rollers 122 to the sides of the cord portion and/or releasing the occlusion of the cord portion 304 by the gripping rollers 122. This release can be performed when the movable frame 120 is in the upper position.

As previously described, the movable frame 120 is biased to the upper position (see FIGS. 1B, 2B, 3B) by the first biasing element 104. When the cord portion 304 is placed in the gripping mechanism, such as along its channel 124, the movable frame 120 will remain in the upper position if the combined weight of the remaining cord portions 302, 306 and any objects (not shown) coupled thereto is within a predetermined value or limit that does not overcome or release the first biasing element 104. However, if the combined weight of the remaining cord portions 302, 306 and any objects coupled thereto exceeds the predetermined limit, the combined weight exerts a net force that overcomes or releases the first biasing element 104, causing the movable frame 120 to rotate from the upper position to the lower position (i.e., going from FIG. 3B to FIG. 4B).

While in the lowered position, when the control lever 210 is released or deactivated and the gripping mechanism is therefore unconstrained in the released position, the cord portion 304 is not held by the gripping mechanism and can therefore be removed from the channel 124 and allowed to fall out of the channel 124 (see Figures 5A and 5B).

On the other hand, while in the lowered position (see Figs. 4A, 4B), if the control lever 210 remains actuated and thus the gripping mechanism is constrained in the retained position, the combined gravity of the remaining cord portions 302, 306 and any objects coupled thereto exert a downward force on the gripping mechanism, including the gripping roller 122, that can overcome the lateral force exerted by the actuated control lever 210, thus forcing the gripping mechanism to move from the retained position to or toward the released position, causing the cord portion 304 to be pulled out of the gripping mechanism and to fall out of the gripping mechanism due to weight and gravity (see Figs. 5A and 5B). Additionally or alternatively, the cord portion 304 may be stretched and thinned due to the combined weight of the remaining cord portions 302, 306 and objects coupled thereto, as well as the elastic nature of the cord 300. Thus, the thin, stretched cord portion 304 can pass through the gripping roller 122 and fall out of the gripping mechanism (see Figures 5A and 5B).

The above-described mechanisms of automatic rotation of the movable frame 120 from the upper position to the lower position (i.e., progression from FIG. 3B to FIG. 4B) and automatic removal of the cord portion 304 from the gripping mechanism (i.e., progression from FIG. 4B to FIG. 5B) can be referred to as fail-safe mechanisms.

The movable frame 120 may further comprise one or more guides configured to guide the movement of any portion of the cord entering and/or exiting the channel 124 via the edges of the movable frame 120 (see Figs. 1A, 1B, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B). The guides may be provided by guide rollers 126 rotatably coupled to the movable frame 120. In this manner, the cord may move or slide along the channel 124 with zero or minimal resistance relative to the movable frame 120 and its portions, thereby protecting and preserving the integrity of the cord. The axis of the guide rollers 126 may be non-parallel to the axis of the gripping rollers 122. The guide rollers 126 may comprise a material having a low coefficient of friction, such as, for example, a polytetrafluoroethylene material that may be commercially available under the name Teflon.

It should be understood that in other embodiments, modifications to the above may be made.

In one example, the guide can be provided by a non-rotating element that can have a low coefficient of friction, such as a polytetrafluoroethylene material that can be commercially available under the trademark Teflon. In another example, the guide can be eliminated.

In one example, the control lever housing can be positioned adjacent to the movable frame.

In one example, the aforementioned guide roller 126 can be replaced by a single guide roller in combination with a non-rotating element that can have a low coefficient of friction. However, the single roller and the non-rotating element are operable to provide constraint and non-constraint to respectively retain and release the cord portion.

In one example, the guide rollers can include more than two guide rollers, the two or more guide rollers operable to provide constraint and unconstraint to respectively retain and release the cord portion.

The preceding examples may be combined with any number of other examples where appropriate.

Figure 7 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method for chord control. The method is described with reference to bungee jumping, but may be suitably adapted for other activities.

At block 702, a cord control device of the present disclosure is provided, e.g., attached, at a bungee jumping location. A description of the features of the cord control device will not be repeated so as to not obscure the description of the method.

At block 704, prior to each stage of the bungee jump, the cord control device, particularly the movable frame, is biased to an upward position while the gripping mechanism is biased to a released position, i.e., the control lever is in an inactivated state (see Figures 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D).

At block 706, while the gripping mechanism is in the released position (see FIGS. 1C, 1D) and while the movable frame is in the upper position (see FIGS. 1A, 1B), a portion of the cord (cord portion) is placed in the gripping mechanism, more specifically, in the unconstrained channel. The cord portion may be placed in the gripping mechanism by a human operator. The remaining portion of the cord (remaining cord portion) may be coupled to an object, such as a bungee jumper, during this time, before, or at a later appropriate stage.

At block 708, while the movable frame is in the upper position, the control lever is actuated, e.g., by a human operator (see Figs. 2C and 2D), to actuate the gripping mechanism to grip or hold the cord portion (see Figs. 3A, 3B). In particular, the actuated control lever exerts a force to overcome the second biasing element to move the gripping mechanism from the release position to the holding position, thereby creating a constraint of the channel and holding a portion of the cord by the gripping mechanism, or more specifically, its gripping roller. At this point, the cord portion is engaged in position, while at least some of the remaining cord portion should hang down from the movable frame.

At block 710, an object, e.g., a bungee jumper, that is coupled to the remaining cord portion, e.g., the free end of the lower cord portion distal from the cord portion, is allowed to fall freely while the control lever is in an actuated state, i.e., while the gripping mechanism is in the holding position and while the movable frame is in the upper position.

At block 712, depending on whether the control lever was released in a timely manner, one or more of the following are performed or can be performed:

In a first possible scenario, the operator releases the actuated control lever at an appropriate time, such as, for example, before the movable frame rotates from the upper position to the lower position. In particular, while the movable frame is in the upper position, the control lever 210 can be released to move the gripping mechanism from the holding position to the release position, thus releasing the cord portion. Upon releasing the cord portion, it can be removed from the movable frame by sliding it along the channel in the direction of the falling bungee jumper under the pull of gravity and/or by the operator directly removing it from the channel and/or throwing it out of the channel. This sliding can include guiding the cord portion, and at least some of the remaining cord portion, with a guide, such as, for example, a guide roller or other non-rotating guide.

Alternatively, in a second possible scenario, the movable frame rotates to a lower position before or without the actuated control lever being released by the operator (see Figs. 4A and 4B). In particular, while the control lever remains actuated, the combined weight of the remaining cord portion and the object, e.g., the bungee jumper, coupled thereto, breaches a predetermined limit, generating a net force sufficient to overcome the first biasing element and rotate the movable frame from the upper position to the lower position. The net force is due to the weight of the cord and the bungee jumper after the bungee jumper has fallen a certain distance, which exerts a pull on the cord. In this lower position, if the control lever is then released to move the gripping mechanism to the release position, the cord portion is released and free to be removed from the gripping mechanism or to fall off. On the other hand, in this lowered position, if the actuated control lever is left unreleased, the weight of the remaining cord portion and the bungee jumper will overcome the force exerted by the actuated control lever on the gripping mechanism, forcing it to move from the holding position to or towards the release position, and/or the cord portion will be stretched due to the weight of the remaining cord portion and the bungee jumper, and also due to the elastic nature of the cord, causing the cord portion to thin. The stretched and thinned cord portion may fall away from the gripping mechanism, even though the gripping mechanism may still be in the holding position (see Figures 5A and 5B).

Embodiments of the present invention provide at least several advantages, including:

The cord control device provides a human operator with the ability to hold and release the cord at a desired time without physically straining or tiring the human operator.

If the human operator fails to release the cord at the appropriate time after the bungee jumper has jumped, the cord control device provides a fail-safe mechanism to ensure that the cord is released at the appropriate time or before the unreleased cord poses an increased risk to the safety of the bungee jumper. This fail-safe mechanism is provided by allowing the movable frame to rotate from an upper position to a lower position when the combined weight of the remaining cord portion and the bungee jumper exceeds a predetermined level, which firstly overcomes a first biasing element and rotates the movable frame to the lower position, and secondly forces the gripping mechanism to move from a holding position to or towards a release position to release the cord portion and/or stretches or thins the cord portion so that the thinned cord portion falls out of the gripping mechanism. In other words, the fail-safe mechanism operates to automatically release the cord portion when a predetermined force or pressure on the cord is reached.

The fail-safe mechanism substantially reduces the reliance on a human operator to release the cord at the appropriate time. As will be appreciated, releasing the cord too early can result in entanglement of the jumper and cord, while releasing the cord too late can damage the cord and/or prevent the jump.

Rather than requiring a human operator to apply force or pressure directly to the cord to effect the aforementioned retention and timed release, the control lever allows the force or pressure on the cord portion to be applied remotely by a human operator. In particular, the control lever can be foot operated to pull the cable, which in turn controls the guide mechanism to retain or release the cord portion. Thus, the human operator does not need to stand on the cord and therefore does not damage the delicate rubber material of the cord. It will be appreciated that the operator can still hold another portion of the cord to ensure that the cord is not caught by other objects and/or the operator can throw the cord in a certain direction at the appropriate time, but the remote control function provided by the control lever allows good and safe control without causing fatigue to the operator.

The use of gripping rollers to hold and release the cord portion allows the cord to be released quickly without interference or damage. Additionally, the gripping rollers may be provided with a fail-safe mechanism to quickly escape the gripping rollers if a human operator mistimes or unduly delays the release of the cord, rather than completely occluding the cord portion that is being held, i.e., in the holding position.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The scope of the present invention is therefore indicated by the appended claims, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Fixed frame 102 Hinge 104 First biasing element 112 Second biasing element 120 Movable frame 122 Grip roller 124 Channel 126 Guide roller 200 Control lever housing 202 Cable 204 Hinge 210 Control lever 300 Cord 302 Upper cord section 304 Cord section 306 Lower cord section

Claims (15)

A code control device comprising:
A fixed frame and
a movable frame rotatably coupled to the fixed frame and further coupled thereto via a first biasing element for biasing the movable frame to an upper position, the movable frame including a gripping mechanism coupled to the movable frame via a second biasing element for biasing the gripping mechanism to a released gripping position where the gripping mechanism is unconstrained to release a portion of a cord disposed on the gripping mechanism;
a control lever coupled to the second biasing element and operable to overcome the second biasing element to move the gripping mechanism from the release position to a gripping position in which the gripping mechanism is constrained to hold a portion of the cord disposed on the gripping mechanism;
A code control device comprising: The cord control device of claim 1, wherein the movable frame is operable to overcome the first biasing element and rotate from the upper position to the lower position due to a combined weight of the remaining portion of the cord and an object coupled thereto, while the combined weight of the remaining portion of the cord and the object is further operable to overcome a force applied to the gripping mechanism by the actuated control lever to move the gripping mechanism from the gripping position to the release position and release a portion of the cord. The cord control device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the gripping mechanism includes a plurality of gripping rollers coupled to the second biasing element and arranged to provide a channel therebetween for receiving a portion of the cord, and in the gripping position, the gripping rollers are configured to constrain the channel, and in the ungripping position, the gripping rollers are configured to release the constraint of the channel. The cord control device of claim 3, wherein the control lever is coupled to the second biasing element by a cable, and actuating the control lever is configured to pull the cable to drive the gripping rollers toward each other. The cord control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control lever is foot operated. The cord control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control lever is positioned remotely from the movable frame. The cord control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the fixed frame is integrated with a bungee jumping location. The cord control device of claim 3 or 4 , wherein the movable frame further comprises a guide mechanism configured to guide any portion of the cord into or out of the channel. The cord control device according to claim 8, wherein the guide mechanism includes at least one guide roller rotatably coupled to the movable frame, and the axis of rotation of the at least one guide roller is non-parallel to the axis of rotation of the gripping mechanism. The cord control device according to claim 9, wherein the at least one guide roller includes a plurality of guide rollers arranged on both sides of the movable frame. The cord control device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the cord is a bungee cord. A code control method, comprising:
allowing a movable frame, rotatably coupled to the fixed frame and further coupled thereto via a first biasing element, to be biased towards an upper position;
allowing a gripping mechanism coupled to the moveable frame via at least a second biasing element to be biased to an unconstrained gripping release position;
placing a portion of the cord in the unconstrained gripping mechanism;
actuating a control lever to overcome the second biasing element and move the gripping mechanism from a released position to a gripping position in which the gripping mechanism is constrained and causes the gripping mechanism to hold a portion of the cord;
allowing an object connected to the remaining portion of the cord to fall freely;
Releasing the control lever to move the gripping mechanism from the gripping position to the release position and cause the gripping mechanism to release a portion of the cord; or Actuating the moveable frame such that a combined weight of the remaining portion of the cord and the object overcomes the first biasing element and rotates the moveable frame from the upper position to the lower position.
and
A code control method comprising: After the steps of actuating the moveable frame to overcome the first biasing element and rotating the moveable frame from the upper position to the lower position, the method further comprises:
using the combined weight of the remaining portion of the cord and the object to overcome the force applied to the gripping mechanism by the actuated control lever and move the gripping mechanism from the gripping position to the release position to release the portion of the cord; and/or using the combined weight of the remaining portion of the cord and the object to thin the portion of the cord so that the thinned portion of the cord is removable from the gripping mechanism in the gripping position.
The code control method of claim 12, further comprising: The cord control method according to claim 12 or 13, further comprising a step of removing or enabling removal by allowing a portion of the cord to fall out of the gripping mechanism. 15. The cord control method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of guiding any portion of the cord into or out of a channel for accommodating a portion of the cord, the channel being provided between a plurality of gripping rollers of the gripping mechanism , by a guide mechanism disposed on the movable frame.

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